Wounded but not lost as long as I'm with you
by Henry Uchiha
Summary: Warning: Heavy spoilers to Half Lost. I couldn't take the ending. Not in a hundred years, so I decided to write my own alternative ending. Maybe a one shot but probably will carry on as a full story for the events set after: Nathan took the ring slowly repeating the words as he slid the gold band onto Gabriel's finger. "Till death do us part, and even then. Together, always."
**_Hi! So, I've just read Half Lost... and Since Nabriel is my OTP, I am not letting it get left like that! I just thought that Nathan deserved a hell of a lot better, Gabriel too. So this may be a one shot, or may turn into it's own full story. But I'm changing that ending! Thanks for taking the time to read it though! Be warned there will be heavy spoilers for Half Lost in this. Have a great day/night wherever you all are!_**

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The moment I had seen her, I hadn't been able to help myself. The others nearby had taken up their firing just after the first bullet had been aimed directly for my head.

I stare down at his face as Jessica is still burning nearby.

I had acted without thinking, throwing my body over him. Gabriel. I hadn't been able to stop myself, there was nothing else I could do. I had to protect him, now as I stare down at him, his face lingered with pain as agony spreads through him. The Hunters poison, he can heal from it, I know he can! I've lost so much now. My Father, my Gran. So many who helped me get here along the way.

I don't even think about it now. I stay there, shielding him, using everything I am, praying that the Witch's bottle is holding out. Gabriel is staring back up at me the entire time, but I'm willing him, pleading that he focuses on his healing. Jessica is crashing down behind me and Gabriel is still there, beneath me. Gun shots are sounding off around us like thunder, even that slowly coming to a close.

"GET DOWN!" Celia barks as the last of the Hunters are surrendering, putting their hands up in the air.

But I'm too busy at that moment to do anything else but stare down at those dark eyes I love. Watching the golden triangles spinning and weaving their pattern in the orbs of the one I love.

He's still here.

His hand is slowly reaching up for my cheek and I can't stop myself. I barely realize my chest is heaving, the oxygen is thin. It's like I'm under Mercury's power and I'm losing the fight against it. His hand is soft, I know it like the back of my own, from the way that he's held me when I've cried. From the way that it traced over me when we made lover. From the way that he held me in them, shielding me from the rest of the world when in those lowest moments, all I could see was the shadows.

His brown hair is speckled with blood. Blood of the hunter I slaughtered to get him back. I don't care though. It doesn't change anything.

"Nathan." He whispers to me over and over again. He's trying to calm me down, the way that only he has ever been able to do. The way that he looks into me, reaching up and brushing his hand through my hair. He works delicately, brushing my fringe back, smoothing across my brow while he whispers my name to me like it's the most important thing that it is to him on this earth and he's sharing it with me.

"Don't leave me." It sounds pathetic, I know it sounds pathetic. Even as around us the Alliance is crushing down the last of the resistance from all of the last, straggling Hunters.  
"It's over." He whispers, "I'm still here. I'm still here."

What had even just happened?

I thought it had been Arran. I thought it had been him... But he would never have worn those colours. Jessica. Jessica relentless and horrible to the last. She had aimed towards me just as I had been about to fire lightning at her.

But then she had pulled the trigger and something inside of me had exploded like a fire itself. All I had been able to see was myself back in Ledge's cabin. Remember when Gabriel had tested the gun on me and the bullet had ricochetted into the door. Me and Gabriel had been so close, I couldn't risk it.

So as Ciela had heard me snarl Jessica's name, I hadn't stopped myself. Throwing myself over Gabriel like a shield. I had got in one blast of lightning as I had turned, aiming blindly toward Jessica in the chaos which erupted. I guess I don't know if it will ever have been me who was the one who got her. It could have been Celia who unleashed a single and violently precise shot. It could have been Adele who had thrown out a steel punch. I don't know, all I had cared about then, for the first time in a year. Was not about the next stone to add to my pile. It wasn't about getting revenge.

It was just about being there.

For him.

"Nathan." He hushes me gently, as I feel the tears burning away in my eyes. They spill free but I don't care. I really don't. We did the impossible and we did it together. He's still here. Not whisked away again in the shadows out of my outstretched hand. Not taken down by Jessica. He's still breathing. A flesh wound that he can heal, but other than that, he's okay. He's beautiful. He's safe. He's-

I can't keep myself up any more and just feel down onto his chest, just like when we were together back at Mercury's, just like when we were in our bramble dome. Just like when he had woken me after finding my father's ring on his finger. His arms wind around me and we're together, we made it. He's still there, a small smile on his lips as he's healing himself against the Hunters poison. His Jacket and shirt are torn open from when I had been desperate to inspect the wound and make sure he was okay.

Arran, the real Arran is nearby, getting Gabriel to drink a potion, asking me if I'm okay, but It's like I'm in another world entirely as I just lay there, lamely and bury my head against Gabriel's chest. His skin is warm, slightly feverish, but even through my tears I see his side healing, I'm listening to his heart like it's the most important thing in the world... and to me, it is. We've done it. We've both escaped it.

I know I'm crying and I know he knows how much I hate that I am, but he just smiles at me sweetly, holds me. Just like he has always done, just like he always will do. "We're safe Nathan." He whispers to me, over and over. "I'm still here." His lips are gentle on my cheek, his fingers lacing with mine as he brings our joined hands up to his lips to kiss softly, showing me the ring I gave him. The ring I had proposed to him with. The ring he had cried with happiness over. I know Celia is next to us with Arran while the others are rounding up Hunters as prisoners, they're storming the building.

But I just don't care.

"So." Gabriel smiles to me, brushing away my tears lovingly, his hand brushing away my cheek as I sniffle and just stare up at him. "Do we start wedding plans for now?" He teases me before leaning in deeply for a hungry and loving kiss.

I don't remember much after that, only falling asleep in Gabriel's arms.

It must have been a while because when I next open my eyes

Light began to flood into the windows and illuminate onto the white silk sheets of the bed of the quiet room.

The golden light of filtered brilliance, through the clouds of silver, slowly washed over the bare form and figure who was laying under the silken blanket next to me. The air is still slightly hazy with a faint glow of green. Nightsmoke definitely. I've never been that good with it. I like being outside, even with it's aid it still make's me fell feverish, ill and nauseated... but something is different this time.

Maybe it has something to do with who is laid next to me.

I move as lightly as possible, trying not to arm which is wound around my bare waist. I don't want to wake him, my beautiful, beautiful Gabriel. The who has always seen the good in me and taken it with the bad. He's seen both sides of me, my best and my worst and accepted both... god, I love him. I love him more than I've ever loved anyone. Which is why I turn myself so my back is to his chest, I fit perfectly against him, we go perfectly together.

I hear him let out as a sigh, there's no signs of dark circles around his eyes, but I know he's tired. We're all tired, but still I don't want to wake him. I want him to sleep, to have as much peace and rest as he can. But that meant I couldn't do much other than stare blankly ahead of me as I imagined in my thoughts, is this reality? Am I dead and this my heaven? Am I actually here, with Gabriel?

Did we actually do it? Survive I mean?

A small smile tugs at the edge of my face.

We did.

For a while after that I just stared out the window as he watched how the skies were plagued with clouds but clear of any signs of a storm, I'd lost track of the months, it was still April right? April skies typical, it could be sunny later... Maybe then me and Gabriel could go for a run, or a climb?

The more though I spent thinking, the more cosy size of the room around me became almost intimidating, so for a while I did the simple thing, meaning I closed my eyes back to the darkness and cradle of slumber. My own body ached and was heavy with exhaustion, what we had done, it hadn't been easy that was for certain. My voice felt none existent as all I could do was just close my eyes and lay there to do nothing. Happy and content with Gabriel with me.

However, I had hardly noticed that behind me Gabriel was smiling from ear to ear, even with his eyes close. The first time he gave away that he was awake, was when I felt his arm around my waist pull me closer to him. I could feel all of him behind me, his body, his hands, his heart beat. I spared no time in in tilting my head back and connecting our lips, kissing him again and again, at least until he sighed softly and yawned, I take the opportunity to teasingly suck on his neck, kissing strongly, biting lightly. He lets out a small chuckle and small groans but it's music to my ears.

His dark, earth brown eyes began to open, those triangles dancing away in his orbs like they always did. Just like me, he was was not dressed in the usual pajamas, but only sighed with exhaustion after what we had done, neither of us felt no embarrassment from not wearing any clothes.

After all... it wasn't the first time we had slept with each other.

He too looked tired and exhausted though, I had been right. His hands were covered in scratch marks and his neck was a mess of love bites and Hickeys from me. I felt like a glimpse of my gift came through at that, as though just like when I'm the animal and calling out to him, I could feel it's satisfaction to see my mark left on Gabriel. His arms although seeming under toned, had begun to look stronger and more well used though he hid it well. As I go back to kissing the marks lightly, feeling him laugh quietly as I place the kisses down his throat to his chest as I've turned over again, gently caressing my lips over his heart before I move my lips back up so ours can embrace again.

He sighed contently and let out a small smile as his eyes began to slowly open after slumber had tried to pull him back, but I guess my own little awakening had his full attention now.

He yawns and stretches out as he lets the sunlight wash over his face, then pulls me close as he nuzzles his face into my hair, I can feel his face splitting smile against me. "I've never had such a good night sleep." He reaches up and begins to rub the sleep out of his eyes; taking in the entire sight around him of the room. The expensive sheets, what he soon describes to me as, 'the beautiful boy in front of him.', I laugh at him and shake my head, going back to kissing him with hungry passion. I was in heaven. I was finally complete again. I was finally complete.

So with a small sigh he lowered his head and kissed me.  
"It was all just a bad dream." I whisper. "It was just all a bad dream!" Remembering what came to me in the darkness, leaving me slightly cold and still more hungry for all of him.  
"They can't hurt you." He says softly, running his fingers through my hair, caressing me, showing the entirety of his love to me. Showing me how I own his heart completely and I try to put it back to him that I feel the same... I was never good with words.

I just don't know how it could have finally turned out like this? I pause for a moment and stare at him. Just staring as I look up to see the most beautiful and handsome of boys in the bed, with me. All those times we camped out by a small fire, the times we held each other, the time we spent building up to this. The fight, the war...

He must feel my breath hitch because his arm tightens around me, more so to reassure me he's here. "Nathan?" He speaks to me as he always does, with his kind voice, I feel his smile has turned worried but I drift between thoughts, in and out quickly. "They can't hurt you now. The dreams can't hurt you-"  
"We were- Jessica! What happened?" I sit up and look over him, I move to straddle him and start inspecting quickly, looking for any wound, any sign of him being hurt. He has his old scars, the one I caused on his eyebrow makes me turn my gaze away quickly, but I can't find any sign of injuries on him but other than the one on his size where the Hunters bullet grazed him, there's nothing to see. "I had a dream." I hiss, shaking my head as I feel him rest our foreheads together, his hand gently stroking my cheek. "I dreamt... Jessica's bullets hit you... I tried to slow down time, Arran came to save you but, he only got one of the bullets out! When I slowed down time, I hadn't been able to make it so he could keep moving. The bullets... they were destroying you from the inside. You kept telling me you love me, you kept saying it was okay but-"

I pause, the words failing me.

His hand moves under my chin, caressing my cheek. He looks so deeply into my eyes that I think for a minute or two he loses himself in them. But still he just let's out a stern look and speaks with infinite tender patience. "But I'm okay, she didn't hurt me. I haven't left you, even if she had, you should know that I'd never really leave you." He speaks with so much love and tenderness that I pause, only able to let him continue. "You saved me Nathan, just like you always have done. If I were to die, I would not leave this world for the next without you. I would not step foot into heaven or what else awaits us without your hand in mine. I would watch over you, love you as I always have. I told you. Always." He says softly.

That's when I finally find myself back in reality. Here I am, sleeping bare next to him, under the silky covers. I can't do much else but just curl back into the embrace. It is only when Gabriel slowly wraps his arms around me, kissing my shoulder, my body, my lips tenderly then moving on to each one of my scars, I slowly began to stop trembling.

The abundance of fear from my uncontrollable nightmares began to slowly flood away. I feel it, my eyes begin to slowly fall back into a slumber, Gabriel just watches me, his fingers dance across my skin, his breath brushes on my neck, I turn myself as close to his chest as possible, holding onto him as though I'm still clinging onto this reality as though it can fade from me. I know at that moment, when it comes to Gabriel, I've found something that I had thought I'd never get. When I'm with him now... in this moment. There's no thoughts of the war. There's no thoughts of everything else that has happened. There's only the fact that it's me and him. No one to hurt us. There's nothing else that matters.

Ryan slowly ran his finger down my jawline, my nerves laying down to him like a wolf with it's mate. "I don't know... what did I ever do... to be so lucky to meet you." He purrs in my ear as he slowly wrapped his arm around me. The edges of my mouth turn up in a smile and I turn my exhausted half closed eyes back up to him. "Do you want me to talk, or to be quiet?" He asks gently.  
"Talk." I whisper.  
"I guess we better explain then. We're back at Mercury's. After what happened... after what happened with Jessica. You were exhausted Nathan, Celia and me, we brought you here to rest. That was about three days ago. You must have worn yourself out so bad, I was beginning to be scared you might not wake up! You slept like you were in hibernation!" His voice is teasing but there's a undertone of worry behind it.  
"I'm fine." I whisper, not caring much of myself. I may still be slightly shook from the nightmare of losing him, but other than that it's the truth. I'm exhausted, just like he is. Even so, he brushes back my hair, it really cut do with a bit of a trim I guess, but he just runs his fingers through it, smiling at me as though he's having the same thought of he can't believe that this is actually happening. "I just... wasn't entirely sure where else to go after what happened. I wasn't sure where else you'd want to go. I just wanted to make sure that you was okay. I was worried about you Nathan."

We're quiet for a bit after that, but we don't need to fill the silence with words. We have all that we need in simply one another.

After a while, I yawn and look up from listening to his heart. "Well I guess, we find somewhere to live. We can't exactly live here."  
"Anywhere specific in mind?"  
"Somewhere by a river." I whisper, feeling slumber clawing me back into it's grasp. "Somewhere in Wales?"

He simply beams at that.

Time passes us by but we don't move. The war is over. It's all finished with now. Yes, there is still so much to have to think of... Analise is one of those things. My anger for her is no less, I want justice for my father. It is deserved. But right now, there's something else I have in my life. Someone to care for. Someone I love, and as from under half closed eyes I slowly look over back at the one who that is, while the taller brunette spoke gently to me, smiling at me as my eyes become so much heavier. "Go back to sleep. We deserve at least that don't we after dealing with the last couple of days, don't we?" Gabriel whisper softly as he rested his chin on top of my's head and pulls me closer to his chest as the boy curled into him. "But then again, we can't we just have one day off. But we can enjoy this. You must not get to lie in much else where."  
"Yes... a lie in today." I nod in agreement. "Then tomorrow... w-we start plan-planning." I yawn and finally my eyes can't stay open any longer.

I remain awake long enough to feel his kiss and then him whisper. "Our wedding. Till death do us part, and even then. Together, for always."


End file.
